- An armed man killed three people in a hostage stand-off in southern France.
- He was named by officials as Redouane Lakdim.
- During the stand-off he reportedly demanded the release of jihadist Salah Abdeslam.
- Abdeslam is the only living suspect in the 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130.
- Abdeslam evaded police for months before his arrest in 2016, during which time he was Europe’s most wanted man.
An armed terrorist who killed three people in a hostage stand-off at a French supermarket is reportedly demanding the release of Europe’s most notorious jihadist.
The attacker, named as Redouane Lakdim, opened fire inside a Super U supermarket in Trèbes on Friday. He shouted his allegiance to ISIS and held hostages inside, three of whom he killed.
(Click here for Business Insider’s live news story on the situation)
According to the French TV channels La Chaîne Info (LCI) and BFMTV, the man made demands of French authorities which included the release of Salah Abdeslam.
Both channels cited anonymous sources for the claim.
Abdeslam, 28, is the only living suspect linked to the 2015 attacks in Paris, which included the Bataclan theatre shooting, and claimed the lives of 130 people.
He went on the run after the attacks, and evaded capture for four months. He was ultimately arrested by police in Brussels.
His last reported location was Fleury-Mérogis prison in the suburbs of Paris
Abdeslam has gone on trial in Belgium over a shoot-out with police in the days before his arrest, but has yet to be tried over the Paris attacks themselves.
A report of court proceedings in February by the Daily Telegraph said Abdeslam was refusing to answer questions on the grounds that European courts are biased against Muslims.
